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The primary between Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., could test the allegiances of New York’s Democratic leaders and congressional delegation — and threatens to widen a rift between upstate and downstate New York voters.

At least, that’s what Democratic activists in New York and Washington, D.C. fear.

On Wednesday, a grassroots group of more than 60 New Yorkers — including some of Maloney’s doners and supporters, as well as former state Democratic Committee Chairwoman Judith Hope — sent a letter to the lawmaker warning her against a “divisive primary fight which forces voters to choose between two tremendously capable, hard-working women.” The letter had been drafted in the last three days, before Maloney’s final decision to run.

Karen Feldman, a Columbia County lawyer and political activist who signed the missive, said Maloney’s primary challenge could jeopardize Democratic control of both her House seat and the spot in the Senate.

“Here we have two extraordinary women, who both have stellar accomplishments, and they’re pitted against each other,” Feldman said. “I hate to see us lose either one of them, and that’s what would happen.”

“This is going to be a nasty race,” Feldman predicted.

In a twist, Maloney’s House seniority — the stature and positions she has received after 17 years in Congress — could work against her. The letter-signers are fretting about the possibility that Maloney may drop out of the House to pursue the Senate, jeopardizing her high-profile role as chairwoman of the Joint Economic Committee. She also serves on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Financial Services Committee.

Democratic strategists have worried that a divisive primary could weaken the victor, making the candidate vulnerable in the general election in November 2010. Possible Republican contenders include Rep. Peter King and former New York Gov. George Pataki.

A Marist Poll released Wednesday signaled that it could be a close match-up. According to the survey, conducted June 23-25, 38 percent of Democrats said they would vote for Maloney, compared with 37 percent who would back Gillibrand — a difference within the 3-point margin of error. In a Marist Poll two months ago, Gillibrand had a 5-point advantage — 36 percent to 31 percent.

More, including a copy of the letter, after the jump.

Gillibrand has racked up endorsements from labor unions and women’s groups, including NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List, as well as 11 of New York’s 26 Democrats in Congress.

Gillibrand joined the Senate when New York Gov. David Paterson appointed her to the seat vacated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in January, ending weeks of speculation over possible successors, including Maloney and Caroline Kennedy.

At the time, Gillibrand was a relative newcomer to politics and had staked out a moderate stance during her two-year House tenure representing a mostly rural upstate district.

Gillibrand, 42, faced immediate criticism from immigration and gun-control advocates, who said her House votes showed her to be a vigorous supporter of gun rights and an opponent of liberalizing immigration laws. But since being sworn into the Senate, Gillibrand has tilted more toward gun restrictions. She has supported the release of background information on firearms used in crimes and voted in February to uphold firearms restrictions in Washington, D.C., even though she took the opposite stance in the House last year.

Maloney, 61, has spent her 17 years in the House pushing women’s rights and consumer protection, among other issues. A former teacher, Maloney won passage of a law to allow breast feeding on federal property and successfully advanced legislation to combat sex trafficking. In October 2001, she wore a burkah on the floor of the House to highlight the restrictions on women living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

Maloney has been a pioneer. She was the first woman to represent New York’s 14th congressional district, which includes a slice of Queens and Manhattan’s East Side. And on Capitol Hill, she is the first woman to head the Joint Economic Committee. She also was the first woman to give birth while serving in the House. Gillibrand followed in her footsteps in May 2008, becoming the sixth representative to give birth while in office.

The contest could be a costly one; New York Senate races have historically been among the nation’s most expensive.

Gillibrand has a fundraising advantage now, with $2.2 million on hand, compared to Maloney’s $1.3 million war chest.

Gillibrand has been a prolific fundraiser, and she has a key ally in Schumer, her mentor and political protector _ and the former head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

But Maloney can tap into the resources of well-heeled Manhattan supporters, who may be skeptical about Gillibrand’s upstate roots. Maloney also may be able to count on fundraising support from other New York lawmakers who had considered challenging Gillibrand.

A copy of the letter is below:

Dear Congresswoman Maloney,

For many years, we have been proud to support your efforts. We have long applauded your work on the issues most important to women, and just this year, we celebrated your appointment as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee and your victory on important legislation governing credit card issuers.

Despite this, we must say that we would be deeply disappointed should you decide to pursue a primary challenge to our new Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand. We find ourselves wondering how you can consider embarking on a campaign that is so potentially destructive to the interests of New York State and for the Democratic Party. We agree wholeheartedly with EMILY’S LIST founder Ellen Malcolm, who recently said in an interview: “It reminds me of Bella Abzug, Liz Holtzman, Gerry Ferraro – all these women in New York who were real leaders, political leaders, on issues that were important to women. They ran for higher office, we lost them in the House and never got them back.”

While we certainly value the democratic process, we implore you not to pursue a divisive primary fight which forces voters to choose between two tremendously capable, hard-working women. At best, this would leave at least one of you without a job, and could ultimately result in giving the seat back to the Republicans. We value your seniority and leadership in the House, and agree with the premise of your recent book that “rumors of our progress have been greatly exaggerated.” There is much work still to be done and we hope that you will continue in your current prestigious, well-deserved position to be at the
forefront of the progress to come.

We believe that Senator Gillibrand is off to an excellent start and is doing everything required to insure that she represents the voices of New Yorkers throughout our State. We know that as her new
constituents get to know her, they come to like and support her. This is evident even in early polls, which show steady upward progress in her numbers, with close to half the electorate still unacquainted with
her. The growing list of endorsements from elected officials, women’s organizations, progressive leaders and unions also reflects this.

We have every expectation that Kirsten Gillibrand will have a long, productive tenure in the Senate, and we are deeply committed to doing our part to assure her election in 2010 and beyond. We hope that you
will decide to join us in this endeavor.

Jennifer A. Dlouhy covers energy policy, politics and other issues for The Houston Chronicle and other Hearst Newspapers from Washington, D.C. Previously, she reported on legal affairs for Congressional Quarterly. She also has worked at The Beaumont Enterprise, The San Antonio Express-News and other newspapers. Jennifer enjoys cooking, gardening and hiking. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and toddler son.

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